Google Authenticator adds new features and a complete redesign

News
By published

New features and Material You design has arrived for Google Authenticator on Android

Dhaka, Bangladesh- 21 July 2024: Google Authenticator logo is displayed on smartphone.
(Image credit: Shutterstock / Mojahid Mottakin)

Google’s very own Authenticator app for Android has received a major update introducing several new features and a complete Material You redesign.

Google Authenticator has now added a search bar for perusing all of your accounts, as well as a privacy screen that will automatically lock the App when not in use - either immediately or after a set amount of time.

New Material You UI

Google Authenticator 7.0 has also received a major redesign, with the hamburger menu and account switcher now being housed within a pill-shaped button at the top of the app. User experience features, such as the ‘how it works’ guide, Settings and Help & Feedback buttons, have been moved into the navigation drawer.

Additionally, the QR code scanner has received a major UI overhaul, introducing a new flash option for scanning QR codes in low light conditions. This is powered by the Google Play services, and does not save any data, with Authenticator stating that “No image data will be shared, only the scan results. Scanning is performed on your device and Google will not save any image data or the scanned codes.”

These new updates were added to the iOS app for iPhone and iPad earlier in the year, while version 7.0 of Google Authenticator for Android has not been made fully available through the Play Store just yet.

Google Authenticator previously received criticism for not end-to-end encrypting the apps traffic, allowing for the possibility of one-time codes to be generated by intercepting traffic and stealing 2FA seeds.

Via 9to5Google

More from TechRadar Pro

TOPICS
Benedict Collins
Benedict Collins
Senior Writer, Security

Benedict has been with TechRadar Pro for over two years, and has specialized in writing about cybersecurity, threat intelligence, and B2B security solutions. His coverage explores the critical areas of national security, including state-sponsored threat actors, APT groups, critical infrastructure, and social engineering.

Benedict holds an MA (Distinction) in Security, Intelligence, and Diplomacy from the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies at the University of Buckingham, providing him with a strong academic foundation for his reporting on geopolitics, threat intelligence, and cyber-warfare.

Prior to his postgraduate studies, Benedict earned a BA in Politics with Journalism, providing him with the skills to translate complex political and security issues into comprehensible copy.